The present invention relates to tracheostomy devices and particularly to such tracheostomy devices for allowing a patient to speak during forced ventilation and natural breathing.
Under certain conditions, a medical patient who is having difficulty breathing will undergo a tracheotomy operation. During this operation, an incision is made to establish air communication with the interior of the patient's trachea. A tracheostomy device is inserted through the incision into the trachea. Typically, air is forced through the trachea and into the patient's lungs to assist in breathing.
Many tracheostomy devices are provided with a circumferential cuff which seals a lower portion of the trachea and the lungs from the patient's upper airway. In doing this, the exhaled air is forced out through the tracheostomy device, and is not allowed to pass over the patient's vocal cords, thus preventing the patient from speaking. With select patients, the inability to speak can be a major inconvenience, and conceivably a dangerous situation if the person cannot otherwise communicate.
Several attempts have been made to provide air to the upper trachea airway to allow vocalization. However, many of the prior devices have forced outside air into the upper trachea airway. Such devices are difficult to work, are uncomfortable and the resulting speech is muffled and barely understandable. Attempts have also been made to direct the patient's own exhaled air into the upper trachea airway, but these have either required the absence of the sealing cuff or have been found to be complex and cumbersome to use and are susceptible to clogging.
The sealing cuff is important for preventing foreign material from entering the lungs.